It's ok. It's not really something I constructed consciously -
  just a quick "word picture" that pops up in my head when I hear
  the words. If you had to come up with a geometric metaphor for
  sympathy and empathy, is there something that might work better?
  It's also possible that your mind doesn't think in that way too.
  Who knows why my brain paints these little outlines of things
  like this - it just does. i don't know what anybody else's does.